Marilyn concurs: “That’s a good way of putting it — he has a real spring in his step.” She and co-owners Jacqueline Mars and Robin Parsky imported the horse in December and recalls that, after David O’Connor first sat on him, he warned against leaving him to be her last ride of the day.

“He’s just very, very bouncy,” Marilyn says. “It is like riding a trampoline. The good news is he has a wonderful cadence, so if you’re feeling spry you just wrap your legs around him and go for a ride. But if you’re not, you feel like a rag doll.”

Marilyn originally thought the horse might be a prospect for the Pan Am Games but soon backed off from that plan, focusing instead on laying a sound foundation for the long-term. “He’s only 8 our our partnership is still quite new,” she explains.

They’ve done well for themselves at the 1* level this spring, most recently besting a field of some 70 entries at the Ocala CCI1*. They’ll be looking for their first 2* completion this weekend and are off to a hopeful start, laying down a 40.9 that puts them nearly five points ahead of 2nd placed Mikki Kuchta and Rubens D’Ysieux.

Marilyn Little and RF Overdressed. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Mikki kindly stopped by the media center to tell us about her ride today. Rubens D’Ysieux is a 10-year-old Selle Francais, imported about four years ago by a client for whom he ended up being just a little too much horse.

“She had me start riding him and we just got along great,” she says, noting that he used to have a tendency toward being nervous and tense but has since settled into the sport: “He loves all three phases — he’s been a pleasure to train and ride.”

Indeed, their test today was fluid and relaxed, and Mikki says he gave her the ride she knew he was capable of. “This was everything we’ve been working on,” she says. “This is test we knew we had in him and it was great to get it today and he has more coming. He’s so expressive and talented and strong, and he’s just going to get fancier and fancier. So this is not his best test for the future but his best test for today.”

Mikki guided Rubens around his first Advanced earlier this year and has confidence in his ability to make short work of Saturday’s track. “The course looks good,” she says. “I just have to do my job. He’ll jump through the flags if I can show them to him.”

Since we’re in a GIFing mood, and we don’t want anyone to feel left out, here’s another Horse Pesterer clip of the pair jumping through the Advanced water at Pine Top:

Rounding out the CCI2* top three is Sharon White and her striking dark dappled grey Cooley On Show.

It was her second ride of the day, having taken the morning lead on Clifford M, who is now tied for 5th. The two horses have been nipping at one another’s heels all spring, trading places on the scoreboard from event to event, and both are in a position to be very competitive this weekend.

…there’s no question that Sharon’s weekend is off to an exciting start.

CIC2* Top 15:

CCI1* Top 15:

Team Eventing Nation will be back bright and early Friday morning, bringing you live dressage reports from the CCI3* and CIC2* divisions. The first tests kick off at 10:30 a.m. with Ryan Wood leading off in the 3* and Arden Wildasin in the 2*.